Can You Lock The Rear Wheel?

Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
812
Location
central NJ
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2010 Honda ST13
I just replaced the front brakes with 47,000 miles on my ST1300. They weren't as worn as I thought. I had probably had at least another 10,000 miles on them, but having bought the new pads and taken everything apart, I went ahead and replaced them anyway.

Took it out for a test drive and for the first time since I bought the bike, purposely tried to lock the rear wheel using the rear brake only. Thanks to the linked braking system, I came to a very quick stop, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the rear wheel to lock up.

Adding the front brake brought me to an even more impressive quick stop, but I didn't try locking the front. Locking the rear is not a great idea, but locking the front is just a a really bad idea, but I have done it purposely when I was younger, on a lighter bike (750 Sabre) and without linked brakes just briefly to see what it felt like.

Anyway, I was wondering if it's even possible on a non-abs ST1300 to lock the rear wheel on dry pavement. If it is, then maybe I'm due for a brake bleed even though the brakes don't feel spongy. I've gone a couple of years longer without bleeding them than Honda recommends, but I sort of figured that their recommendation was conservative. For example, My old 750 Sabre had perfectly fine brakes even after 10 years without bleeding them.
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
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122
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Greenville, SC
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2015 FJR1300
Yes, it's possible. A friend has a 2006 that he "lent" me for a month. I wondered the same so I stomped the rear brake coming to a stop and the rear locked up nicely and the rear came around a bit.
 
Joined
Nov 10, 2012
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199
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Holderness, NH
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ST1300 2012
Oh yes! You can lock the rear if you are really motivated. I left almost 30 feet of rubber from BOTH wheels before I hit the Subaru .....
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
8,110
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Cleveland
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2010 ST1300
Oh yes! You can lock the rear if you are really motivated. I left almost 30 feet of rubber from BOTH wheels before I hit the Subaru .....
And stayed upright for those 30'? Really good balance and bike management with two locked wheels!
 
Joined
Nov 22, 2016
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Comox
For example, My old 750 Sabre had perfectly fine brakes even after 10 years without bleeding them.
I'd suggest you never go that long on a motorcycle with out replacing the brake fluid. The fluid will absorb moisture. Just because you seem to have effective braking doesn't mean the fluid is perfect, which is what we want.
 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
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When I bought my first bike (50cc), the sales guy told me to go find an empty lot and practice stopping. He said first at 5mph, then 10, 15, 20. After buying a little bigger bike (a 250cc) I did the same. I could stop it straight from 50 mph with both tires locked up.

That said, I haven't really tried the non-ABS ST1300 bikes, at a higher speed than 20, but I'm sure it can be done real easily.
 

sky.high

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The Honda of the day
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Sure, assuming you don't have ABS, its surprisingly easy of the wet, hence we rely of the front for the majority of braking
 
Last edited:

970mike

Mike Brown
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I find that the with the ST1300 ABS, it is extremely difficult to get the ABS to activate
Not when a big buck runs out in front of you and you are just about to make contact with him, worked good and I did not make any contact with him. :D
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2007
Messages
523
Location
Kenly NC
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07 ST1300A(P)
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7649
It can be done, but you really have to stomp them. I've always been impressed by how much brake the 13 will take without a lock up. I remember a conversation with a group of riders about locking the front wheel, their insistence that once the front wheel is locked you are going down kinda bothered me, because I've slid a locked front wheel on more than one occasion and maintained control, so, knowing I was installing new tires the next day, I fired up the bike, rode across the lot, locked the front wheel(V65 Magna) and rode it back across the lot, just to prove a point. It was a wrestling contest, but I did it.
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2007
Messages
523
Location
Kenly NC
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07 ST1300A(P)
STOC #
7649
Even if you do and want to try it out, pulling the "A" fuse will turn the bike into a non-ABS model.

--Mark
Done that with my jeep, abs sucks when you are creeping down a steep muddy incline.......that and the fact one of my abs sensors on the jeep drops out at low speed under braking, so far I haven't been able to track it or diagnose which one. At highway speed it works fine, but slow down for a light and the system activates just before a stop, which has caused me to actually roll through a stop sign or two....I need someone with an actual chrysler computer, non of my stuff communicates with chrysler ABS systems. Not paying the dealer to scan it out, minimum 1 hour at 125 bucks, for something that takes 5 minutes. I may just pull all the sensors of my wrecked one and swap them. But, I digress......
I love having the ABS on the 13, never really needed it, but it's nice knowing it will be there for my inevitable "oh crap" moment.
 
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